Sufficient Grace Part 2

Once Paul realised that God's grace was sufficient for him, from that time forward the power of Christ rested on him and he was never whipped or beaten with rods ever again. Terrific, but how does that help us? How can we make God's grace our sufficiency so we can overcome our problems?

I once got extremely tired of catching colds. Every year, I'd pick up one or two of the bastard things, and I became so sick to death of them, I went  to God and demanded answers. That's what Paul did. He was so sick to death of being beaten up all the time, he went to God and demanded answers. He got his answers, and I got mine.

One of the first things God showed me was that both the cold and the flu are transmitted by touch. They are not airborne. Cold and flu germs can only get to you through touch. That can be directly, but it can also be by way of touching something with cold or flu germs on it. However, even that isn't enough. Cold and flu germs on your hands won't affect you unless they get into your body. The most common ways they get into your body is through your mouth, your nose, or your eyes.

Another thing he showed me was that new strains of cold and flu germs were developed in laboratories, usually in the Far East. Aircraft flying to foreign countries would be infected, and truckloads of money from cold and flu remedies would chink into the bank accounts of the pharmaceutical companies who owned the labs. Cold and flu remedies are worth billions. No colds or flues, the cunts don't make any money.

Once I understood the nature of the enemy, I began to formalise a plan. The more I worked my plan, the more God taught me through the Christ in me, and the more effective my counter measures became.

There's no magic to life. Most people get whacked and trudge through life wondering why God doesn't help them through all their suffering. Listen, God's grace is sufficient for us, just as it was sufficient for Paul. This isn't up to God, this is up to us. God gave us the gift of holy spirit, now we have to get it energised and walk by the spirit with the power of Christ resting on us.

I think the best way to illustrate how I became sufficient in God's grace and learned how to avoid colds and flues is with real life examples.

Sunday morning, early, the phone rang. It was Phil. Needed some company, so he Invited me and a few others round for a full English breakfast. Sounded good! When I got there, he was sniffing, full of the cold, and there he was, cooking food, handling plates and serving breakfast. I knew that if I ate that breakfast I'd catch his cold. What do you do? I couldn't just walk out, it would be impolite. Everyone was laughing and joking, what would they think of me if I just left? I ate that breakfast and so did everyone else, and we all caught his cold. Well, I'm not so polite now. As soon as I see anyone with a cold, I'm gone. If they take offence, I couldn't give a shit. If they loved me, they wouldn't be trying to give me their fucking cold.

If you find yourself around people with a cold or flu, make an excuse and leave, preferably without touching anyone or anything. Avoid all physical contact. If you used the door handles, keep your hands by your side, don't rub your eyes or touch your face, and go and wash your hands immediately.

The warehouse was a bit chilled. My mate drove up in a forklift and asked if I wanted a coffee. Sure, I said, love one. Off he zoomed on his forklift to get a couple of coffees. When he returned, he handed me a cup and sniffed. Have you a cold I asked him? Yes, he said, I'm rotten with it. I waited until he was gone, poured the coffee down the sink, binned the cup and immediately went and washed my hands. I didn't catch his fucking cold.

The secret is to be aware, and when you notice someone with a cold, go into self preservation mode. Don't touch anything they've touched. If you do, go and wash your hands immediately. Don't touch your face or rub your eyes, that's how the germs get into you. Keep your hands at arm's length. Hey, that was pretty good.

If someone in your house has a cold, you have to ratchet things up a few notches and go into full defence mode for two or three days. When someone in my house has a cold, I always wash cups, plates, cutlery, sinks and taps before I use anything in the kitchen or the bathroom. When I'm preparing dinner, I take all the plates and pans out and wash them before using them. After taking dishes back to the kitchen, I wash my hands, keeping them well away from my face. Rubbing your eyes is a good way to get the germs into you. I also make sure I use my own towels and dishcloths, so I know they're not infected.

One morning, I had a phone call from a family who needed my help. I knew they all had the cold. Two parents with two children, they all had colds, but they needed my help. Had words with Father, and he simply told me not to touch anything. I walked into a house with four people all rotten with colds. I didn't touch any door handles, and I sat in a corner of the living room which I knew none of them ever sat in. They offered me tea and biscuits, which I politely declined, kindly of course. I kept my hands from my face the whole time I was there. When I got home, I put all my clothes in the washing machine and had a shower. I had been in there for three hours, in the same living room with four people all sniffing and coughing. I didn't catch their cold.

When it comes to avoiding colds and flues, personal vigilance is the key. You have to be aware, not just with friends, but also in public. When heading for the checkouts at a supermarket in winter, I usually watch the checkout folks from a distance to see if they're sniffing or coughing. If you see someone in the store stacking shelves who has a cold, leave and go to another supermarket. When friends suddenly greet you and you see they have a cold, don't allow them to touch you, and don't let them give you a hug or a kiss on the cheek. If they do, go straight to the nearest bathroom, wash your hands and face, and then get home, change, and have a shower.

When you master this, you can reverse engineer the information and use it to protect people. Be impolite, don't make them coffee, don't handle food for them, and don't touch them. Stay away from people as much as you can.

Cold and flu bugs will always be a problem as long as public services such as schools, hospitals, supermarkets, shops, restaurants and anywhere that caters to the public don't insist on their staff remaining at home while they have colds and flues. The greedy cunts who make all the money from the cold and flu remedies you buy want you to be sick so they can get rich. They're not going to look out for you, so learn to be sufficient in God's grace and walk with the power of Christ resting on you.

What is it plaguing you? What is it you need answers to? Walk by the spirit and God will show you how to deal with them. As of the time of writing, I've only had one cold in the last 10 years. I think it was the postman who passed those germs through my letterbox. Perhaps it's time I started washing my hands after reading my mail.